Music-leaf turner



(No Model.)

W. B. JACKSON. MUSIC LEAF TURNER.

N0. 408,977. vPatented Aug. 13,, 1889.

J 771/6 J: Willdam Z5 Jacks 0m UN TED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

\VILLIAH B. JACKSON, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

MUSIC-LEAF TURNER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 408,977, dated August 13, I889.

. Application filed March 29, 1889. Serial No. 305,217. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM B. JACKSON, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented an Improved Music- Rack and Leafllnrner, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of music-.

leaf. turners in which the sheets of music or the leaves of the book are controlled by springactuated turning arms or fingers, the release of the latter in succession being governed by suitable escapement mechanism.

My improvements relate especially to the construction of such esoapement mechanism and to the means for supporting the book or sheets of music, the object of the invention being to prevent the accidental release of any one of the turning arms or fingers by the escapement mechanism, to provide for the convenient operation of the latter, and to adapt the device for the reception of books or sheets of different heights.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of sufficient of a musicrack and leaf-turner to illustrate my invention. Figs. 2 and 3 are diagrams illustrating the escapement mechanism in different positions to show the operation of the same, and Fig. 4 is a detached view illustrating part of one of the leaf-turning arms or fingers and its actuating-spring.

A is a frame or stand having at the upper end a box or casing 15, with central vertical rod or spindle a, to which are hung a series of leaf-turning arms D, four of these being shown in the present instance, and the outer end of each arm being bent so as to form a fingerfor engaging with the upper edge of the leaf or sheet which is to be turned. Each of the arms D is acted upon by a spring bsuch, for instance, as shown in Fig. 4c-the tendency of this spring being to turn the arm D from right to left, as indicated by the arrow, Fig. 1, when said arm is released from the control of the escapement mechanism. The latter comprises a combined separating and retaining lever F and a catchfinger G, both hung to the end of the box or casing I3, the lever F being provided with a rod or cord (7, by which it may be operated either by hand or foot or by some attachment similar to that of a knee-swell on w an organ, the particular means employed for operating the lever being immaterial. The lever F has an upwardly-projecting finger f and in advance of the same a shoulder g, and the catch-linger G is hooked at the outer end, so as to form a shoulder 'i. The leaf-controlling arms D swing through and are held in proper vertical position by a slot m in the box or casin g I and in the first instance all of. said arms which engage with a sheet or leaf of music are moved over to the right and retained in this position by engagement with the shoulder t' of the catch-finger G, which is depressed by means of a spring n. hen it becomes necessary to turn a leaf, the lever F is actuated so as to insert its linger f between the foremost arm D and that next to it, so as to separate said foremost arm from those in the rear, as shown in Fig. 2, the finger then striking the catch-arm G and lifting the same so as to free the foremost arm from the 0on trol of the shoulder 11 of said catch-finger. The shoulder g of the lever F has, however, by this time been lift-ed into the path of the arm and prevents the release of the same, as shown in Fig. 3, and the outer end of the lever must be permitted to drop before such release is effected, the arm D, when released, being swung around by its spring in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 1, so as to carry the leaf with it and turn it over to the opposite position. As the outer end of the lever F descends, the catclrfinger G descends with it, and when the finger f is withdrawn from in front of the remaining arms D the latter will move forward until the foremost arm is stopped by the shoulder t of the catch-finger in position to be separated from the remaining arms 011 the next rise of the finger f, as described.

It will be observed that two movements of the lever F are necessary in order to effect the release of either of the arms, so that accidental or unintentional release of either of said arms is extremely unlikely.

To the front of the box B is pivoted a supplementary lever J, the short arm of which is in position to act upon the front of the lever F, the long arm of said lover .I being provided with a red or cord 1), the operation of which will. effect a movement of the lever F similar to that effected by the operation of the rod. or cord (Z.

As the turning-arms l) occupy a fixed vertical position, it becomes necessary to provide a movable supporting-shelf M for the heel: or sheets of music, and I therefore provide said supporting-s]felf, at points outside of the epposite legs of the frame A,with arms .9, which carry a catch-bar ,en gagin g with ratchet-teeth in, formed on the rear of each of said legs of the frantic, so that the shelf N. can be raised on the frame and willbe self-retaining in any position to which it is adjusted; or the shelf can be lowered by first tilting the same so as to carry the catch-bar 1' out of engagement with the teeth in of the frame. As the shelf is in front of the frame A and the catch-hart in the rear of the same, said shelf is properly confined to the frame so far as in-and-ont movement is concerned, and the opposite arms s of the shelf are preferably so located. as to bear upon the outer edges of the opposite legs of the frame, so as to prevent an sidewise movement of the shelf in respect to the latter.

lfaving thus described my invention, 1 claim and desire to seenreby Letters laten f,

1. In a music-leaf turner, the combination of the fixed "frame and a series of springaetnated lea f-lllll'llll1 9,' arms hung thereto with escapement mechanism connn'ising a lever with separatin finger and retai ni ngshonlder and a catch-finger also having a retainingshonlder, substantially as specified.

2. In a music-leaf tnrner, the emnbination of the fixed frame and a series of leaf-turning arms hung thereto with eseapement mechanism comprising a leverwith separating-finger and retaining-shonlder, a catch-finger also having a retaining-shonlder, and a supple mentary lever acting pa on the COflilJifWt H rating and retaining lever, sill'lsfantially as specified.

3. The con'ibination of the fixed frame and its springaetnated retaining-fingers, the Yer-- tieal rack at the rear of the frame, a shelf in front of the frame, and a catch-bar connected to said shelf and engaging with the rack: at the rear of the frame, substantially as speci- .fied.

f. The combination of the fixed frame having spring-actuated leaf-turning arms and vertical rack at the rear, a supporting-she|f having armsbearing against the outer edges of the frame and a catch-bar carried by said arms and engaging with. the rack at the rear of the frame, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof l have signed my name tothis specification in the l n'ese'nce of two snbscribing witnesses.

\Vitnesscs:

\VILLIAM f. (i YNN an, lfiuinv Sin'rn'. 

